Another Day's Begun : Thornton Wilder’s Our Town in the 21st Century

"A work of startling originality when it debuted in 1938, Thornton Wilder's Our Town evolved to be seen by some as a vintage slice of early 20th Century Americana, rather than being fully appreciated for its complex and eternal themes and its deceptively simple form. This unique and timely book shines a light on the play's continued impact in the 21st century and makes a case for the healing powers of Wilder's text to a world confronting multiple crises. Through extensive interviews with more than 100 artists about their own experience of the play and its impact on them professionally and personally ? and including background on the play's early years and its pervasiveness in American culture ? Another Day's Begun shows why this particular work remains so important, essential, and beloved. Every production of Our Town has a story to tell beyond Wilder's own. One year after the tragedy of 9/11, Paul Newman, in his final stage appearance, played the Stage Manager in Our Town on Broadway. Director David Cromer's 2008 Chicago interpretation would play in five more cities, ultimately becoming New York's longest-running Our To wn ever. In 2013, incarcerated men at Sing Sing Correctional Facility brought Grover's Corners inside a maximum security prison. After the 2017 arena bombing in Manchester UK, the Royal Exchange Theatre chose Our Town as its offering to the stricken community. 80 years after it was written, more than 110 years after its actions take place, Our Town continues to assert itself as an essential play about how we must embrace and appreciate the value of life itself. Another Day's Begun explains how this American classic has the power to inspire, heal and endure in the modern day, onstage and beyond."-- Provided by publisher Cover page 1 Halftitle page 2 Title page 4 Copyright page 5 About the Author 6 Contents 8 1 Introduction: This Book Is Called Another Day’s Begun 10 2 Building Grover’s Corners 16 3 Expanding Grover’s Corners 28 Direct adaptations 29 Our Town on television 34 Other Our Towns, other stages 39 Paying homage 41 Our Town in other mediums 43 Lampooning Our Town 44 Our Town infiltrates television culture 47 Our Town Production Oral Histories 2002–19 52 4 The David Cromer Productions, 2008–14 54 5 Westport Country Playhouse and Broadway, 2002–3 72 Broadway 83 Filming 85 6 Royal Exchange Theatre, 2017 88 7 Montgomery County Emergency Services, 2014 104 8 Louisiana State University and Theatre Baton Rouge, 2019 120 The LSU Stage Managers 127 The Emilys 128 The Mrs. Soameses 129 The Simon Stimsons 130 The Georges 131 9 Lookingglass Theatre Company, 2009 138 10 Intermission: The Church of Grover’s Corners 156 11 Theatrical Outfit, 2019 160 12 Miami New Drama, 2017 176 13 Oregon Shakespeare Festival, 2008 192 14 Deaf West Theatre and Pasadena Playhouse, 2017 206 The Stage Managers 213 Simon Stimson 218 Act III 219 15 Open Air Theatre, Regent’s Park, 2019 224 The play 226 The park 235 The present day 238 16 Sing Sing Correctional Facility, 2013 240 Play selection and casting 242 Rehearsals 244 Performance 249 Reflection 253 17 Epilogue: 11 O’clock in Grover’s Corners 256 Sources, Permissions and Notes 260 Notes 263 Thanks and Acknowledgments 270 Index 274 80 years after it was written, more than 110 years after its actions take place, Our Town continues to assert itself as an essential play about how we must embrace and appreciate the value of life itself. Another Day's Begun explains how this American classic has the power to inspire, heal and endure in the modern day, onstage and beyond. -- adapted from Amazon.com